英文原文Manufacturing Engineering Multitasking MachiningDone-in-one setup makes parts betterHardened gear wheels (RC 62-65) are rough and finish-turned and finish-ground, drilled, threaded, and broached on an EMAG VSC 250 DS machine. Multifunction machine tools have been around long enough in various configurations for manufacturers to appreciate their potential for cost-saving, quality production of parts from miniature connectors to transmission housings for off-highway equipment. Development of true multitasking machines,however, has removed them from the category of special machines.Manufacturers have made them one of the fastest growing categories of CNC machine tools because they improve competitiveness. They offer the flexibility to meet just-in-time delivery of a variety of parts in smaller lot sizes. They consolidate the processes of many machines, improve accuracy, and save time formerly required for multiple setups as work was moved from machine to machine and operation to operation. Finally, they employ resources of people and capital equipment more efficiently, a definite plus that the most astute accountants can appreciate.The most familiar multitasking machines are NC lathes with live tools in the turret, mill-turns, and Swiss turning centers. NC lathes with a Y axis that allows turrets to move from side to side have full milling or drilling capability. They can mill, drill, and machine off the spindle centerline. A B axis allows rotation around the Y axis for drilling at an angle or contour milling.sand dollars to over a million dollars. That hardly qualifies them as commodity machines; yet, increasingly, these multitasking machines form the backbone of advanced machining operations for everyone from contract manufacturers to OEMs.Trends in the design of multitasking machines include packing more punch into a limited and crowded work area with extra slides, more horsepower, even matching sub spindle horsepower to that of the main spindle, putting more driven tools in the cut at the same time, and developing sophisticated software and controls for collision-avoidance, scheduling, and production analysis.For machine tool manufacturers with extensive experience in building CNC lathes and turning centers, developing multitasking machines is a natural next step.Romi Machine Tools Ltd. (Erlanger, KY) developed its multitasking E series turning centers to perform turning, boring, milling, and tapping in one setup in a machine with a compact footprint. The E 320 turning center can be configured with one or two spindles,C axis, live tools, and Y axis for mid to high-volume production. The left spindle features a belt-driven cartridge-style gearless headstock with a high-torque 25 or 35-hp (18.6 or 26.1-kW) GE Fanuc AC spindle motor with a variable speed drive.The right spindle can match the left spindle with a similar 25-hp spindle motor. The slant-bed style E 320 series has a swing of 27.55 (700 mm), a maximum cutting length of 23.62 (600 mm), distance between spindle faces of 41.26 (1048 mm) and a cutting diam of 12.6 (320 mm). The E series includes an E 280 model, which features 15-hp (11.1-kW) spindles, as well as a double-turret, double-spindle E 220 model.pressure coolant, air blast, tool touch probe, and part sensor. The Hardinge-designed and built jaw chuck/collet-ready spindle design permits faster spindle speeds for faster cycle times and maximum part rigidity as parts are gripped close to the spindle bearings, resulting in increased concentricity.When equipped with Hardinges patented HydroGlide hydrostatic linear guideway system, the Quest CNC lathes have the rigidity and precision required for hard turning, as well as the improved crash protection that hydrostatic design offers.The concept of done in one rules today, especially as complex parts can be machined from bar stock or from solid, often eliminating the leadtime and expense involved to design and produce castings and forgings. Manufacturers have been quick to recognize and study their potential for maintaining critical tolerances between features by eliminating multiple setups and the time and accuracy lost moving from operation to operation.At its Technical Center, Caterpillar Inc. (Peoria, IL) works in alliance with its machine tool suppliers to evaluate the potential of equipment and processes that can range from prototype work to production for next-generation Caterpillar equipment, according to Jim Reeb, director of manufacturing research and development. Caterpillar is currently working with Cincinnati Lambs H5 Geminex series machine for machining and turning powertrain components.The H5 Geminex machine is a flexible solution for processing medium-sized and large parts requiring milling and turning in a single setup, combining four and five-axis machining and high-speed turning.Were doing some horizontal t